Miriam El Abbassi | Arts Editor
Featured Image: Slapsys describes the focus of her exhibit to be how we can express the emotions we feel, and how those emotions can, in turn, affect someone else. | Miriam El Abbassi
Everything that we do as people has an effect on someone else, and everything that we come into contact with affects us is some way,” stated Vaiva Slapsys, a York student and visual artist; this sentiment serves as the foundation for the affect / effect exhibition.
The nature of human emotions is that of incredible unpredictability and immense variance, but those ups and downs are somehow accepted as a normal (or even a routined) part of everyday life. Similar to a kind of controlled chaos, one could experience various emotional ups and downs at any given moment, but rarely is any thought given to truly examining and reflecting on this process. Vibrant and colourful emotions can often be invalidated or made to seem unimportant by others, which would only lead to the further suppression.
Slapsys describes the focus of her exhibit to be how we can express the emotions we feel and how those emotions can, in turn, affect someone else: “Using large motions with brushes, my hands, other various assorted tools, and pouring methods, my canvas is stained and marked in immediate ways that reflect the emotions that I feel while I work, and invite viewers to connect with these emotions and reflect on what it brings up for them.”
Several of the works in the exhibit display just that — abstract depictions of expression and vibrancy. Upon entering the space, what immediately catches the eye are two large painted pieces of tattered raw canvas pinned respectively to the two corners of the room: one painted with various shades of green; another with different reds and yellows, and splashes of dark green. The brushstrokes strokes are broad and seem haphazard, almost violent. This could definitely allude to feeling an intense wave of emotions, whether they be positive or negative.
There are several other abstract pieces that line the walls of the space; one uses various shades of blue, as well as stark white motifs, which seem to evoke a kind of underwater scene. Unlike the raw canvas pieces, this one speaks to a more gentle emotion.
Located in the Gales Gallery, affect / effect serves to be a window to the feelings of the artist, displaying her thoughts and frustrations, but also allowing the viewer to reflect on their own emotions as well.
